Alongside ongoing pre-order deals ahead of release tomorrow on the new iPad (A16) and M3 iPad Air, as well as the particularly deep clearance deals on M3 MacBook Air models, today we are starting off with a banger M4 Pro MacBook Pro configuration. You’ll now find the 24GB M4 Pro MacBook Pro with a 1TB SSD at the best price of the year and $270 in savings alongside the base M4 model at $204 off. Then it’s over to AirPods – AirPods 4 are still starting back at the $100 low alongside AirPods Pro 2 down at $170 with a Costco offer that includes 2-years of AppleCare+ at nearly $100 off – and iPhone 15 at $453 off Amazon Renewed Premium and the lowest prices to date on Apple Watch Series 10. All of that and more awaits below in today’s 9to5Toys Lunch Break.

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Dropbox has updated its iPhone and iPad app with a feature that you might have suspected was added a very long time ago, but somehow never was. Live Photos support is finally available for Dropbox users, built right into the

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Listen to a recap of the top stories of the day from 9to5Mac. 9to5Mac Daily is available on iTunes and Apple’s Podcasts app, Stitcher, TuneIn, Google Play, or through our dedicated RSS feed for Overcast and other podcast players.

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Intuit QuickBooks today announced Tap to Pay on iPhone for QuickBooks Online customers in the United States, allowing small and mid-market businesses to accept in-person contactless payments without additional hardware.


The feature integrates with the QuickBooks mobile and GoPayment iOS apps, enabling businesses to receive payments using only an ‌iPhone‌. Customers can accept contactless credit and debit cards, Apple Pay, and other digital wallets without requiring external devices. Transactions processed through the feature are automatically categorized and reconciled within QuickBooks Online.

By providing a direct, integrated payment solution, Tap to Pay on ‌iPhone‌ is intended to help small businesses receive payments faster, reducing delayed transactions and reliance on invoice processing. The feature also allows businesses to accept immediate payments on open invoices or generate new invoices at the point of sale.

Tap to Pay on ‌iPhone‌ is available exclusively to U.S.-based QuickBooks Online customers with an active QuickBooks Payments plan. The rollout begins today, with wider availability expected in the coming weeks.
This article, "QuickBooks Adds Support for Tap to Pay on iPhone" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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Tap to Pay on iPhone is an excellent feature for small and midsize business owners, as it makes taking payments from customers easy. Starting today, Intuit has announced that all Quickbooks users will be able to start taking payments directly from their iPhone.

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Apple today announced that six additional games are coming to its Apple Arcade subscription service throughout April, including the iconic simulation game RollerCoaster Tycoon Classic, Katamari Damacy Rolling LIVE, The Game of Life 2, Sesame Street Mecha Builders, Space Invaders Infinity Gene Evolve, and puffies.


RollerCoaster Tycoon Classic comes to Apple Arcade on April 3 across the iPhone, iPad, and Mac:

Combining features from two of the series' most successful and beloved games, RollerCoaster Tycoon and RollerCoaster Tycoon 2, this new game invites players to create and run amazing parks with the most outrageous rides imaginable. Enhanced for iPhone and iPad, RollerCoaster Tycoon Classic+ delivers the same depth of gameplay and unique graphical style of Chris Sawyer's original best-selling PC games. It also includes three expansion packs — Wacky Worlds, Time Twister, and Toolkit — and is playable across iPhone, iPad, and Mac.

The first original Katamari game in nearly eight years is also coming to Apple Arcade on April 3, across the iPhone, iPad, Mac, and Apple TV.


Here is how Apple describes that game:

In this quirky action game — an Apple Arcade exclusive — players expand their Katamari by rolling up objects scattered across the earth. Featuring unique and whimsical gameplay, and a captivating soundtrack that blends different genres, the game invites players to energize the king's "live stream" by rolling their Katamari to create stars. As users advance, comments from in-game fans appear, and the longer they play, the larger their audience grows. By completing the king's challenges and boosting their subscriber count, players can unlock dynamic new stages.

More details about all of the games can be found in Apple's announcement.

Accessible through the App Store, Apple Arcade is a subscription-based service that provides access to hundreds of games across the iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple TV, and Apple Vision Pro, all free of ads and in-app purchases. In the U.S., Apple Arcade costs $6.99 per month and is bundled with other Apple services in all Apple One plans.
This article, "Apple Arcade Adding Six New Games in April, Including RollerCoaster Tycoon and Katamari" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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Apple Arcade regularly adds new games that are available to all subscribers. In a press release, Apple has just announced that six additional titles will be added to the service soon.

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We've been highlighting pre-order discounts on the new line of Apple products over the past few days, and today we're focusing on deals for the 11th generation iPad on Amazon. Prices start at $329.00 for the 128GB Wi-Fi iPad, down from $349.00.

Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with Amazon. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps us keep the site running.

This sale is available in Silver and Blue, and Amazon remains one of the only major retailers offering pre-order discounts on the new iPad. The iPad launches tomorrow, March 12, so this will be your last day to get these pre-order discounts, and Amazon provides an estimated delivery between March 18-20.





You can also get the 256GB Wi-Fi iPad for $429.00, down from $449.00, and the 512GB Wi-Fi iPad for $614.00, down from $649.00. We're not tracking any pre-order discounts on the cellular models of the 11th generation iPad right now.

The 11th generation iPad is mainly a spec bump for the tablet line, now featuring the A16 chip and more storage, with the same design as the 10th generation iPad. The new ‌iPad‌ starts with 128GB of storage, and is also available in 256GB and a new 512GB configuration. The previous model was only available in 64GB and 256GB configurations.

If you're on the hunt for more discounts, be sure to visit our Apple Deals roundup where we recap the best Apple-related bargains of the past week.

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This article, "Get Last-Minute Amazon Discounts on Apple's New iPad Ahead of Tomorrow's Launch" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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The new Mac Studio with the M4 Max and M3 Ultra chip launches tomorrow. Ahead of time, the first reviews of the device have been shared by select publications and YouTube channels.


This is the first ‌Mac Studio‌ refresh since the desktop computer was updated with M2 Max and ‌M2‌ Ultra chip options in June 2023. The overall design of the machine has not changed. The front of the computer has two Thunderbolt 5 or USB-C ports depending on the configuration, and an SD card slot, while the rear side has four Thunderbolt 5 ports, an HDMI port, a 10-Gigabit Ethernet port, two USB-A ports, a headphone jack, a power cord connector, and a power button.

With the M4 Max and M3 Ultra chips, the ‌Mac Studio‌ catches up to other newer Macs by gaining hardware-accelerated ray tracing for the first time. It can also now be configured with up to 16TB of SSD storage, up from the previous model's 8TB maximum.

Highlights

M4 Max Chip

With Apple's latest chip technology, the M4 Max ‌Mac Studio‌ mode outpaces the M3 Ultra in single-core performance, despite being considerably cheaper. The Verge's Chris Welch:

It's important to note that there are objective benefits to choosing the M4 Max Mac Studio model. It outpaces the M3 Ultra in single-core performance, which is the most critical element in making most everyday apps feel "fast."

The M4 Max chip was already released last year in the 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro. It can be configured with up to a 16-core CPU, up to a 40-core GPU, and up to 256GB of unified RAM. Geekbench 6 benchmark results indicate that the M4 Max is up to 75% faster than the ‌M2‌ Max chip available in the previous-generation ‌Mac Studio‌.

M3 Ultra Chip

The all-new M3 Ultra chip features up to a 32-core CPU, with 24 performance cores and eight efficiency cores, and up to an 80-core GPU. Apple says the M3 Ultra chip is up to 1.5x faster than the previous ‌Mac Studio‌'s ‌M2‌ Ultra chip, which has up to a 24-core CPU. Graphics performance is up to 2x faster than the previous ‌Mac Studio‌ with the ‌M2‌ Ultra chip, which was available with up to a 72-core GPU. The M3 Ultra chip supports up to 512GB of unified RAM, whereas the ‌M2‌ Ultra maxed out at 192GB of unified RAM. The Verge's Chris Welch:

The M3 Ultra chip is overkill for many. If you need this level of power, you already know exactly how you'll get the most from it. It's for visual effects artists and animators. It's for professionals doing ambitious audio and video production work. Are you regularly crunching big medical datasets? Maybe you can use all those cores and memory to their fullest potential. And as AI development continues to flourish, the kitted out configurations with 256GB or 512GB of memory could prove appealing to anyone interested in running sophisticated LLM models locally on their machine.

arsTechnica's Andrew Cunningham:

It's the magnitude of Apple's generation-over-generation updates that makes this Studio refresh feel odd, though. The lower-end Studio gets an M4 Max processor like you'd expect—the same chip Apple sells in its high-end MacBook Pros but fit into a desktop enclosure instead of a laptop. But the top-end Studio gets an M3 Ultra instead of an M4 Ultra. That's still a huge increase in CPU and GPU cores (and there are other Ultra-specific benefits, too), but it makes the expensive Studio feel like less of a step up over the regular one.

Thunderbolt 5 and Improved External Display Support

Following in the footsteps of ‌MacBook Pro‌ and Mac mini models with M4 Pro and M4 Max chips, the ‌Mac Studio‌ now supports Thunderbolt 5. There are four Thunderbolt 5 ports on ‌Mac Studio‌ configurations with the M4 Max chip, and six Thunderbolt 5 ports on configurations with the M3 Ultra chip. Thunderbolt 5 provides up to 120 Gb/s data transfer speeds. Tom's Guide's Alex Wawro:

While the USB-C ports on our Mac Studio M4 Max are capable of transmitting up to 10 GBp/second, the Thunderbolt 5 ports are theoretically capable of achieving up to 120GBp/second in certain conditions. And in standard use Thunderbolt 5 is specced to offer double the bandwidth capacity of Thunderbolt 4 (80 Gbps vs. 40 Gbps), which means it can move more data faster than its predecessors.

The practical payoff is that you can use a higher number of more capable displays via Thunderbolt 5 than Thunderbolt 4, for example, our Mac Studio M4 Max is rated to support up to five external displays (4 @6K/60Hz via Thunderbolt 5, 1 @4K/144Hz via HDMI) while the upgraded M3 Ultra model can supposedly support up to eight (at 6K/60Hz or 4K/144Hz) at once.

Alternatively, our M4 Max review unit can support a single 8K/60Hz display while the M3 Ultra version can support up to four 8K/60Hz displays. So if you really want to be future-proofed against a potential 8K future, the new Mac Studio has you covered.

If I were considering buying one of these Macs in 2025, I'd be more excited about the potential to build the ultimate workstation by investing in a great Thunderbolt 5 dock, along with a good display (honestly, I can live without Thunderbolt 5 speeds for my display needs) and a great Thunderbolt 5 external SSD for moving big files around fast.

And frankly, Thunderbolt 5 gear is still pretty sparse on the market despite the fact that the standard debuted in 2023. While you can buy 8K displays and 8K TVs right now, the fact is that 8K content only started arriving in small doses in 2023, and it's still very rare in Mac apps and streaming services.

So while it's great to get Thunderbolt 5 ports on the most powerful Mac desktop for the first time, it's not a great reason to upgrade unless you're really excited about investing in a lot of Thunderbolt 5 accessories.

Reviews

Articles

• The Verge


• Tom's Guide


• arsTechnica


• Gizmodo


• TechRadar


• WIRED

Videos

The new ‌Mac Studio‌ is available to pre-order now, and it will launch on Wednesday, March 12. In the U.S., pricing continues to start at $1,999 for configurations with an M4 Max chip, and at $3,999 for configurations with an M3 Ultra chip.
This article, "M4 Max and M3 Ultra Mac Studio Reviews: Apple's Most Powerful Mac Ever" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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The first M4 MacBook Air reviews are out, and the consensus view appears to be that while it may not be an exciting update, it’s a lot of tech for the money – and is the Mac most people should buy.

The other thing reviewers agree on is that the new blue color is a whole new level of subtle, so don’t expect too much of a change in look from the silver …

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Apple’s new Mac Studio arrives in users’ hands this week, and the first reviews have just become available. The conclusion? This is a powerhouse machine that is easily the most powerful Mac ever—but you need to know which chip is right for you.

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The new MacBook Air with the M4 chip launches this Wednesday. Ahead of time, the first reviews of the laptop have been shared by selected publications and YouTube channels, offering a closer look at new features and changes.


While it is a minor spec-bump year for the MacBook Air, the new model does offer a few upgrades beyond the M4 chip. There is an improved 12-megapixel camera with support for Center Stage, support for two external displays even when the MacBook Air's lid is open, Thunderbolt 4 ports, and a new Sky Blue color option. And in the U.S., the latest-generation 13-inch MacBook Air now starts at $999, down from $1,099 previously.

Since the M4 chip existed prior to the new MacBook Air, we already know that it offers up to 30% faster multi-core CPU performance compared to the M3 chip in the previous model. Geekbench 6 results for the new MacBook Air already confirmed this 30% performance increase, before Apple's review embargo lifted.

Highlights

Center Stage Camera

Engadget's Devindra Hardawar said the Center Stage camera offers a small but noticeable quality-of-life improvement during video calls:

The leap to a 12-megapixel Center Stage camera isn't exactly Earth-shattering, but I appreciated having a slightly better picture during video calls. I typically turn off the actual Center Stage feature on Macs, but I'm sure some will appreciate its ability to track you around a room. The new camera also supports Desk View, which projects a slightly skewed view of the area directly in front of the MacBook Air.

$999 Value

Jason Snell of Six Colors said it is "generous" for Apple to offer 16GB of RAM in the MacBook Air at the base $999 price point:

That's why perhaps the most important change in the M4 MacBook Air is its base configuration, which starts at $999. When Apple introduced a winning new flat-with-rounded-corners Air design in 2022, it had to keep selling older models in order to get down under a thousand dollars. Three years later, Apple is finally able to sell a brand-new Air—with a generous 16GB of unified memory—at that important price.

Sky Blue

Ars Technica's Andrew Cunningham likes Sky Blue, but he wishes the color was more saturated:

The laptop comes in four finishes—the traditional silver, the gold-ish Starlight, Midnight (still a bit smudge-prone), and a new Sky Blue option that replaces Space Gray. I like Sky Blue, and it's probably my favorite of the three light-colored options, though I do wish it was more saturated. It's similar in hue to the blue finish Microsoft offers for its Surface devices, but I prefer Microsoft's version because it's more noticeably blue.

Reviews and Unboxings

More Articles

• The Verge


• CNET


• WIRED


• TechRadar


• CNN Underscored

Videos

This article, "M4 MacBook Air Reviews Are Now Out, Plus Sky Blue Unboxing Videos" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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When Apple released the second macOS 15.4 beta earlier this month, the company apparently made a change that means System Settings no longer shows how much local storage space Apple Intelligence features are taking up on a Mac.


In macOS Sequoia 15.3.1, users with a Mac powered by Apple silicon can easily discover how much space any installed Apple Intelligence features are taking up on their drive by going to System Settings ➝ General ➝ Storage, and then clicking the circled "i" button next to macOS.

That hasn't been the case since the beta 2 release of Apple's upcoming macOS Sequoia 15.4 update. As spotted by MacRumors contributor Aaron Perris, when users click the "i" button, no further details are now given to explain the amount of storage that macOS is taking up locally.

However, it turns out that if the user has System Integrity Protection (SIP) disabled, System Settings reliably displays the information again. For those unfamiliar, SIP protects the entire system by preventing the execution of unauthorized code, and can only be disabled by entering Recovery Mode. The ability to disable SIP is useful for developers testing apps, but it is generally not recommended for most users.

According to iOS developer @b3lla_dev, Apple has made the Apple Intelligence assets unable to view unless SIP is disabled. This is apparently having a knock-on effect that makes the System Settings app unable to retrieve the file size of said assets.

Apple Intelligence utilizes something called the MobileAsset framework to manage and deliver its machine learning models and related assets to Apple devices. This framework dynamically downloads and updates the necessary components, ensuring that devices have access to the latest capabilities without requiring comprehensive system updates. According to Apple's support page, the assets for Apple Intelligence require up to 7GB of storage space on iPhones, iPads, and Macs.

When storage is tight, 7GB is a significant amount that is bound to influence users when it comes to deciding whether to enable Apple Intelligence or not. It's not clear if this was a factor in Apple's decision to effectively hide the storage space that its suite of AI features eats up locally, but users will come to their own conclusions.

Perris has submitted a feedback report to Apple to notify them about the change, which persists in the latest beta 3, so we'll have to wait and see what action Apple takes, if any. Apple plans to release macOS Sequoia 15.4 in early April.
This article, "macOS 15.4 Beta 'Hides' Amount of Storage Used by Apple Intelligence" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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A Bloomberg report yesterday suggested that iOS 19 could be getting a completely new look, in the biggest change since iOS 7 back in 2013. A similarly dramatic change is expected for macOS 16.

While the report is light on detail, the few clues it provide does make it sound like the upcoming software updates could almost a complete reversal of the flat look we’ve had for more than a decade …

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Apple is expected to release iOS 18.4 in early April, and when it does, users with HomeKit devices still running on the old Home app architecture may be forced to upgrade them to the latest software.


Apple has offered users the option to upgrade to new Home architecture since March 2023 when it released iOS 16.4, iPadOS 16.4, and macOS Ventura 13.3. At the time, Apple said the new architecture brings faster, more reliable performance, especially for smart homes with a lot of smart accessories installed.

However, not all users were entirely convinced of its stability, mainly because it was actually the return of the update's availability after Apple temporarily pulled it in December 2022. Apple's decision came after reports of HomeKit devices becoming stuck in an "updating" or "configuring" status, devices going missing entirely, invitations to share the Home with other users failing, HomeKit Secure Video recording not working, and more.

Apart from the above issues, many users opted not to install the update because the new architecture breaks support for the Home app on devices running older versions of iOS, iPadOS, and macOS. However, code in iOS 18.4 beta 3 unearthed by MacRumors contributor Aaron Perris suggests Apple is going to end support for the original HomeKit architecture. Code strings include the warning "Support for your current version of Apple Home will end soon. Update now to avoid interruptions with your accessories and automations."

It's not clear if the policy will immediately come into effect when iOS 18.4 is officially released next month, but the existence of the code strings is telling, suggesting that iOS 19 almost certainly won't support the old HomeKit architecture when it arrives in September.
This article, "iOS 18.4 Could Force Users to Upgrade to Latest HomeKit Architecture" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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President Trump last month attacked the bipartisan CHIPS Act, seeking to dismantle it, and a new reports says that the White House now appears to have started work on doing so.

A chipmaker’s industry association – whose members include TSMC – held a call in which they expressed concerns about the impact on their plans for new US plants …

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If there’s one piece of advice that bears repeating about AI chatbots it’s “Don’t use them to seek factual information – they absolutely cannot be trusted to be right.”

A new study demonstrated the extent of the problem – but did show that Apple made a good choice in partnering with OpenAI’s ChatGPT for queries Siri can’t answer …

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Despite being released over two years ago, Apple's AirPods Pro 2 continue to dominate the wireless earbud market. However, with the AirPods Pro 3 expected to launch in 2025, anyone thinking of buying Apple's premium earbuds may be wondering if the next generation is worth holding out for.


Apart from their audio and noise-canceling performance, which are generally regarded as excellent for such small buds, one of the reasons the AirPods Pro 2 have remained popular is Apple's commitment to updating their feature set with software updates.

When iOS 17 was released in 2023, AirPods Pro 2 got new Adaptive Audio features, mute controls, and faster automatic device switching. And with iOS 18, released last year, Apple added head gestures, allowing users to control Siri on the ‌AirPods Pro‌ with a shake or a nod of the head. Apple also added Voice Isolation to the ‌AirPods Pro‌ to cut down on loud background sounds to make you easier to hear, along with more granular Adaptive Audio controls and a new Personalized Spatial Audio feature specific to gaming.

More recently, AirPods Pro 2 received a significant upgrade with the release of iOS 18.1 and iOS 18.2. These updates introduced hearing aid functionality in supporting regions, allowing the earbuds to function as an over-the-counter hearing aid for those with mild to moderate hearing loss. Apple received FDA authorization for this feature, which should be a game-changer for many users.

2025 AirPods Pro: What the Rumors Say

Any future generation of AirPods Pro will surely inherit all of these features, but we are also expecting more dramatic changes. Looking ahead to the AirPods Pro 3, multiple reports suggest Apple is planning a redesign for both the earbuds and the charging case. While details are scarce, this indicates the next iteration may sport a fresh look compared to their predecessors, which have maintained a similar design since the original AirPods Pro.

Under the hood, Apple is also said to be focusing on sonic improvements, with Apple adding a faster audio processor. This has been a consistent trend with each AirPods iteration. Perhaps more intriguing however are rumors of "much better" Active Noise Cancellation capabilities compared to the already impressive AirPods Pro 2.

Health features appear to be a major focus for the AirPods Pro 3 as well. Bloomberg's Mark Gurman reports that Apple is developing heart rate monitoring technology that could be ready for the AirPods Pro 3.

Apple's Powerbeats Pro 2 offer heart rate monitoring during workouts, allowing users to connect the Powerbeats Pro 2 to gym equipment like a treadmill to measure heart rate, making the data visible in the Health app and other supported apps on the iPhone. There's a good chance AirPods Pro 3 will feature similar heart rate tracking functionality, but hopefully in an improved implementation that lets users listen to music and monitor heart-rate on gym equipment at the same time.

Apple is reportedly also developing new sensors that could allow the earbuds to measure body temperature from within the ear canal. This aligns with the company's broader push into health monitoring across its product line, but whether the sensor will be ready in time for next year's model is unknown.

Looking further ahead, Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo believes we could see AirPods with integrated infrared cameras as soon as 2026. These would improve spatial audio experiences when paired with the Vision Pro headset, although it's unlikely that this technology will debut with this year's AirPods Pro 3. Gurman has also said Apple plans to add small cameras to future AirPods to enable unspecified AI-powered features. This is said to be a "priority" project for Apple, but likely still a few years away from completion.

AirPods 4 Hints

The fourth-generation AirPods could offer a hint as to what other design changes we could see in AirPods Pro 3. AirPods 4 eliminate the familiar setup button found on the back of earlier models' charging cases. Instead, Apple has integrated a concealed capacitive button on the front of the case, just below the status light. To initiate pairing mode, users simply open the case and double-tap the front-center area.

The ‌AirPods 4‌'s status light has also received a stealthy makeover. When the case is closed or not charging, the LED is completely invisible. It only reveals itself when the case is opened or placed on a charger. These design changes contribute to the smallest and lightest AirPods charging case to date, and there's a good chance Apple will bring them over to the next-generation AirPods Pro.

Release Date

Bloomberg's Mark Gurman in February said that the AirPods Pro 3 will arrive in 2025 but remained months away. Meanwhile, one leaker has since claimed that Apple plans to launch AirPods Pro 3 as soon as May or June this year. However, the same leaker made a similar claim in August 2024 about new AirPods Pro coming "soon," and that did not happen, so treat this latest rumor with caution.

Summing Up

With the AirPods Pro 3 potentially arriving within the next 10 months, anyone looking to invest in some new AirPods has a decision to make. The AirPods 4 bring some Pro features like Active Noise Cancellation to a more affordable $179 price point. However, those who prioritize cutting-edge features and are willing to wait might find the upcoming AirPods Pro 3 to be a more compelling option, especially if they build upon the hearing aid functionality introduced in the AirPods Pro 2 and retain the current $249 price tag.

For fitness-oriented users, Powerbeats Pro 2 initially seemed like a good bet in the absence of AirPods Pro 3, but they have recently come in for criticism owing to issues with iPhone app connectivity and the earbuds' inability to allow users to listen to music and connect to gym equipment for heart-rate tracking at the same time. All in all, for Apple device users interested in next-generation earbuds that will offer a premium wireless listening experience, AirPods Pro 3 appear to be the ones worth holding out for.
This article, "AirPods Pro 3 Launch Now Just Months Away: Here's What We Know" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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In this episode of Apple @ Work, I talk with Pete Membrey from ExpressVPN about OpenVPN, LightWave in Rust, and much more.

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Bluesky has released an update that makes it possible for users to post longer videos to the social media platform and X (Twitter) rival. Version 1.99 of the app triples the maximum video length from 60 seconds to three minutes, addressing one of users' most frequent requests.


As shared in a Bluesky post, the platform has also introduced a new DM filtering system that helps manage messages from unfamiliar accounts. The "Chat Requests" feature creates a separate inbox for communications from users you don't follow, allowing you to approve or reject conversations before they appear in your main inbox.

Account muting has been simplified, too. Users can now mute directly from a post by accessing the three-dot menu, rather than needing to visit the user's profile first. Other improvements include enhanced reporting tools for content moderation and an optimized web layout for tablet users.

Currently, Bluesky reports over 32 million active users. While still trailing Meta's Threads in total users, the platform continues to gain popularity as an alternative to X. The update is available now on the App Store [Direct Link] for iPhone users running iOS 15.1 or later.
This article, "Bluesky Extends Video Upload Limit, Adds DM Filtering in Latest Update" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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Apple recently announced a new generation of the MacBook Air, which is powered by the M4 chip. Although it has the same design as the previous generation, it now comes in a new sky blue color. To match the new color, Apple has made a new wallpaper for the – and you can download it to your device right here.

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The microblogging social network Bluesky was updated today with some new features aimed at improving the experience of using the platform. With the update, users can now upload longer videos – but that’s not all. Read on as we detail what’s new on Bluesky.

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Still using an Intel MacBook Air? You’re now free to throw it in the recycling bin without feeling guilty.

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It is looking more and more likely that iOS will be receiving a significant redesign this year — perhaps the biggest since iOS 7.


It has now been rumored by three separate sources that the iPhone's software platform will eventually look more like the Apple Vision Pro's operating system, visionOS. The changes are expected to be introduced with iOS 19, which should be available in beta starting in June, and released to the general public in September.

Israeli website The Verifier was first to report about the potential visionOS-like redesign, but it said the changes were coming in iOS 18. It is possible that this report was accurate about the details, but wrong about the timeframe.


Then, earlier this year, Jon Prosser claimed that iOS 19 will feature a redesigned Camera app. In a video uploaded to his YouTube channel Front Page Tech, he shared renders of the app's alleged new design, revealing translucent menus and other visionOS-like elements. He speculated that the changes could extend to the Home Screen and beyond.


Bloomberg's Mark Gurman today corroborated the visionOS-like redesign rumor in a report about Apple's software plans.

Here is what he said, with emphasis added:

The revamp — due later this year — will fundamentally change the look of the operating systems and make Apple's various software platforms more consistent, according to people familiar with the effort. That includes updating the style of icons, menus, apps, windows and system buttons.

As part of the push, the company is working to simplify the way users navigate and control their devices, said the people, who asked not to be identified because the project hasn't been announced. The design is loosely based on the Vision Pro's software, they said.

He said the changes are coming to the iPhone with iOS 19:

The changes are coming as part of iOS 19 and iPadOS 19 — code-named "Luck" — and macOS 16, which is dubbed "Cheer."

A big unanswered question: Will the iPhone have circular app icons on iOS 19, rather than squircle ones? Gurman acknowledged that visionOS has circular app icons, but he stopped short of saying if they will come to iOS.

At a minimum, you can expect iOS 19 to have a more simplified and translucent appearance, if these rumors are true.

Apple is expected to announce iOS 19 at WWDC 2025 in June.
This article, "New iOS 19 Design Now Rumored Three Times: Here's What to Expect" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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New MacBook Air and Mac Studio users who are expecting one of the machines later this week will need to install a day one software update to upgrade to the latest version of macOS Sequoia.


The M4 ‌MacBook Air‌ and M4 Max and M3 Ultra ‌Mac Studio‌ models will come with older versions of macOS installed. The ‌MacBook Air‌ models appear to ship with ‌macOS Sequoia‌ 15.2, while the ‌Mac Studio‌ models have ‌macOS Sequoia‌ 15.3 installed.

Apple released macOS Sequoia 15.3.1 back on February 10, but the ‌Mac Studio‌ and ‌MacBook Air‌ were clearly prepared for launch before that update came out. macOS 15.3.1 is not available for the new machines just yet, but Apple is likely to release a new 24D2072 variant for the upcoming Macs ahead of their launch date.

Pre-orders for the M4 ‌MacBook Air‌, M4 Max ‌Mac Studio‌, and M3 Ultra ‌Mac Studio‌ began last week, and the first shipments are set to arrive to customers on Wednesday, March 12.
This article, "New MacBook Air and Mac Studio Will Have Day One Software Update" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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There is a good chance that Google will be forced to sell off its Chrome browser, as the U.S. Department of Justice under Donald Trump is continuing to call for Google to divest the browser.


On Friday, the DoJ sent a new proposal [PDF] to the court in its ongoing antitrust lawsuit against Google, and the updated document still recommends that Google sell Chrome. Last year, Google was found to have a search monopoly, and antitrust regulators have since been deciding on the actions that should be taken to address Google's anticompetitive practices.

The DoJ first asked the court to force the sale of Chrome back in November, under the Biden administration. Google donated $1 million to Trump's inauguration fund, and Google leadership heaped praise on Trump, perhaps in the hope that the Trump administration would scale back on its recommendations, but that does not appear to have happened.

The latest DoJ filing refers to Google's "unlawful and unchecked, monopolistic conduct" that has led to people being reliant on the Google search engine, calling Google an "economic goliath."
The DoJ says that "Google must divest the Chrome browser" to provide the opportunity for another company to "operate a significant gateway to search the internet" without Google's control.

In addition to divesting Chrome, the DoJ is also recommending that Google be barred from entering into search engine agreements with Apple, which would put an end to the payments that Google makes to Apple to be the default search engine on iPhones, iPads, and Macs, but the DoJ does allow for Google to pay Apple for services that don't have to do with search.

The DoJ says that it would also recommend the divestiture of Android if the proposed remedies do not go far enough to keep Google from "improperly leveraging" Android to its advantage, or if Google attempts to circumvent the remedies put in place by the court, but it has backed off of an imminent Android sale. Google is also not being required to divest all of its AI investments.

Google and the DoJ will be back in court in April where the judge overseeing the case will decide on remedies.
This article, "U.S. DoJ Again Calls for Google to Sell Chrome" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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Following the launch of the Vision Pro headset last year, Lowe's hardware stores began offering an in-store Apple Vision Pro experience to try out its 3D "Style Studio" app and experience for kitchen renovation design.


Lowe's made the Vision Pro experience available to customers at select stores in North Carolina, California, and New Jersey, but now it is expanding to five Lowe's locations in Austin, Texas and the surrounding area. Lowe's said that its pilot test was successful, which is why the Vision Pro will roll out to new locations.

Lowe's Style Studio lets customers view a 3D kitchen environment that can be customized with hundreds of real-world materials, fixtures, and appliances. The app is available in the Vision Pro App Store, but customers who do not have a Vision Pro can use it at Lowe's stores.

Since the initial test run, Lowe's has added new options including trending colors and popular kitchen designs. There's also a new teleport feature that lets users view their kitchen from different viewpoints within the room, without moving.

A Lowe's employee will guide customers through the kitchen creation process during a one-on-one 45-minute appointment, where there are 80 billion design combinations available. Completed kitchen setups can be saved, emailed, texted, or AirDropped as a PDF, with the content in the kitchen able to be purchased through Lowe's.

Sessions are free, and customers in the Austin area can book a consultation online using the Lowe's website. Vision Pro headsets will be available at Texas stores for approximately three months, with appointments to start on March 15.
This article, "Lowe's Expanding Vision Pro 'Style Studio' Experience to Additional Stores" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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Epic Games plans to bring Fortnite to Brazil after the Brazilian government forces Apple to permit sideloading, according to details Epic shared on social media. Apple has been facing off against Brazilian regulators over antitrust App Store claims since 2022, and last week, Brazil gave Apple 90 days to make tweaks to its ‌App Store‌ rules.


Apple has until June to comply with Brazil's requirements, so ‌Epic Games‌ says that Fortnite will be available on iOS devices through the ‌Epic Games‌ Store starting in July.

The European Union forced Apple to support sideloading and alternative app marketplaces in Europe, so the foundation to make the same change in Brazil already exists. Apple will likely implement similar rules in Brazil, requiring developers to agree to different operating terms and to pay a Core Technology Fee for app installs.

Apple initially lost a ruling in Brazil in November 2024, and the country's antitrust and competition arm (Cade) gave Apple 20 days to make major changes to the ‌App Store‌ or face daily fines of $43,000. Apple won a reprieve in December 2024, after an appeals court said that the measures would have a major impact on Apple's business operations, but now Apple has been ordered to allow for sideloading and alternative payment methods.

Apple is planning to appeal the ruling forcing it to implement sideloading in Brazil.
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Apple Pay has been available in the United Arab Emirates and Qatar for a while now, but Apple has been working with local banking institutions to expand support even further. Apple Pay will soon be available to customers of more card networks in the UAE and Qatar.

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The European Union plans to levy a "modest" fine against Apple for violating the Digital Markets Act (DMA), reports Reuters.


Last year, the European Commission decided that Apple has not complied with the anti-steering rules outlined in the DMA, and that it has not done enough to allow developers to inform customers about lower prices available outside of the App Store.

Back in June, then European competition commissioner Margrethe Vestager said that Apple was facing a "number" of "very serious" issues with its DMA compliance in Europe, and she said that Apple's DMA changes were "not what was expected of such a company."

Apple tweaked its ‌App Store‌ rules in Europe last year in order to comply with the DMA, introducing support for app marketplaces and app distribution outside of the ‌App Store‌, along with changes to its fee structures. Apple has been updating its rules after receiving feedback from the European Commission, and it specifically updated its external linking rules last August after it became clear the EU was not happy with its anti-steering policies.

The rapid fire changes that Apple implemented can be confusing, so app developers who distribute apps in the EU can keep up with the EU rules site on Apple's developer website.

While the Digital Markets Act gives regulators the ability to fine companies up to 10 percent of their global annual sales, sources that spoke to Reuters said the European Commission is aiming to ensure that companies comply with the law rather than sanctioning them with large fines.

U.S. President Donald Trump has also claimed that he will impose tariffs on countries that fine U.S. companies like Apple, plus there has been a change in the European Commission's leadership, so Apple may not be facing the same monetary punishment that it would have received last year.

The EU has not yet decided on the size of the fine, so the situation could change, but Reuters says a decision is expected this month.
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Ford Mustang Mach-E and Ford F-150 Lightning customers that use the Apple Maps EV Routing feature in CarPlay can now be automatically routed to EV chargers that use the North American Charging Standard (NACS), Ford announced today.


NACS chargers include the Tesla Supercharger, which the ‌Apple Maps‌ EV Routing function did not previously support. Ford says that no software update is required, with NACS support for ‌Apple Maps‌ EV routing available on iPhones running iOS 17 or later and connected to ‌CarPlay‌.

To be directed to NACS fast charging stations, Ford owners need to set their charging network preference in the ‌Apple Maps‌ Settings to NACS chargers. A Fast Charging Adapter compatible with NACS fast chargers is also required.

Apple introduced the ‌Apple Maps‌ EV Routing feature in 2023, but it continues to be limited in scope. Only the Ford Mustang Mach-E, Ford F-150 Lightning, and Porsche Taycan use it, because car manufacturers need to implement support for it to work.

‌‌Apple Maps‌‌ EV Routing uses real-time vehicle information to help customers get to their destination, with charging stops recommended when necessary. ‌‌Apple Maps‌‌ analyzes elevation changes along a route and other factors to determine when to suggest a charging stop, and if the vehicle's battery gets too low, it will provide a route to the nearest compatible charging station.

Signs of NACS support for the ‌Apple Maps‌ RV Routing feature were seen in iOS 18.4, but it turns out the iOS 18.4 update is not needed, with Apple able to make the change over-the-air.
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Apple is rolling out a notable update to Apple Maps EV Routing for Ford drivers. Starting today, Ford Mustang Mach-E and F-150 Lightning drivers can use Apple Maps EV Routing via CarPlay to plan road trips that include Tesla Superchargers – or any station that uses the North American Charging Standard (NACS) connector.

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Back with iOS 16, Apple introduced a new architecture for the Home app aimed at improving the experience of using HomeKit devices. Since then, upgrading to the new architecture has been optional, but Apple will soon force this upgrade on all users.

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Apple TV+ is hitting new highs with Severance season 2, and the streamer’s success could very well continue with a new show launching soon. If early reviews are any indication, forthcoming comedy The Studio could be the next big Apple TV+ hit.

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iOS 18.4 and tvOS 18.4 are currently available in beta, and they come with some small enhancements to the Apple TV app worth noting. Here are three nice changes coming soon to your iPhone, Apple TV 4K, and more.

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Apple is planning for a major design overhaul of the iPhone, iPad, and Mac interfaces with the introduction of iOS 19, iPadOS 19, and macOS 16 later this year, reports Bloomberg. The update will "fundamentally change" the look of Apple's operating system, introducing a more consistent cross-platform experience.


Apple plans to update the style of icons, menus, apps, windows, and system buttons, and the company will simplify the way that users navigate and control their devices. The changes "go well beyond a new design language and aesthetic tweaks."

While specific details are scarce, it's supposedly the biggest update to iOS since iOS 7, and the biggest update to macOS since Big Sur.

There are design elements taken from visionOS, but the update is only "loosely based" on the Vision Pro interface. visionOS features round app icons with a lot of translucency, plus a simple navigation system and more use of 3D elements.

It is Apple's hope that a revamped interface will renew interest in its latest iPhones, iPads, and Macs and distract from the delayed rollout of Apple Intelligence Siri features.

We'll get our first look at the new design in ‌iOS 19‌, iPadOS 19, and macOS 16 at the 2025 Worldwide Developers Conference, which will take place sometime in June. After that, the updates will be tested for several months before seeing a public launch in the fall.
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iOS 19 will be “one of the most dramatic software overhauls” in Apple’s history, according to a new report from Bloomberg. This will include some of the biggest design changes we’ve seen in over a decade.

The company is reportedly planning similar updates for Mac and iPad as well. The goal is to make Apple’s platforms “more consistent.”

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Apple is reportedly about to face a fine from the EU over alleged violations of the DMA (Digital Markets Act). The move would mark the first major act by the EU against Apple since President Trump took office and warned against EU interference with US companies.

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MagSafe docks might seem like they’re all the same, and many of them are. It’s all about charging, so you look for the ones with the look, finish, or price that you want. Every once in a while, a company will innovate with a feature I’d never thought about. The brings just that: an IR sensor so you can change between portrait or landscape without removing your iPhone.

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Apple today provided developers with the third betas of upcoming visionOS 2.4, tvOS 18.4, and watchOS 11.4 updates for testing purposes. The software is available a week after Apple seeded the second betas.


The betas are available to registered developers, and can be downloaded from the Settings app on each device.

Of the three new software betas, the visionOS 2.4 update is the most notable because it brings Apple Intelligence to the Vision Pro for the first time. ‌Apple Intelligence‌ features available in visionOS include Writing Tools, Genmoji, Memory Movie, Image Playground, Priority Notifications, and ChatGPT integration.

The update will include a dedicated Spatial Gallery app, which will offer a curated selection of spatial videos, photos, and panoramas from artists, filmmakers, and photographers. Apple is also bringing a Vision Pro app to the iPhone for Vision Pro management, and it will let users find and download apps, add content to a watch list, and more.

With visionOS 2.4 and iOS 18.4, an ‌iPhone‌ can be used to set up Guest Mode on the Vision Pro, making it much easier to let people try out the headset. When a guest puts on the Vision Pro, a prompt appears on the ‌iPhone‌, and the Vision Pro owner is able to choose what apps the guest can use and can see what the guest is doing via AirPlay.

Apple plans to release visionOS 2.4, tvOS 18.4, and watchOS 11.4 in early April.
This article, "Apple Seeds Third Betas of visionOS 2.4, tvOS 18.4, and watchOS 11.4" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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